On Friday 16 April, the European Commission approved the modification of four operational programmes as part of REACT-EU for Bulgaria, Finland, France and Lithuania for a sum of nearly €562.5 million in response to the health crisis.
The modification of the operational programme in Bulgaria will support long-term infrastructure changes and allow investment in modern healthcare services.
In Finland, the modification of the operational programme will support research and innovation, SMEs and workers’ skills for digital and green transition needs. As such, the modification of Åland’s structural funds programme will target youth employment and SMEs.
The modification of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) operational programme on behalf of France also aims to fund research and development projects related to the pandemic, but also to invest in SMEs, sustainable mobility and the digital economy.
Finally, in Lithuania, the changes to the operational programme will help to develop the e-commerce sector and invest in the research and development of new products in the fight against coronavirus. They will also improve access to health care and strengthen employment measures.
Earlier this month, the Netherlands and Austria were the first countries to receive approval from the European Commission as part of the REACT-EU instrument (see EUROPE 12692/10), which, as a reminder, has €47.5 billion of additional funds for the 2021-2022 period under the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)